Author: Chloe Coutinho

Initial extensional and grade control drilling at Scotia has returned several wide high grade intersections from both outside and inside the current ore reserve.

Pantoro: high grade gold at Scotia

Pantoro (ASX: PNR) has provided an update on its initial underground development and diamond drill results from the southern end of the Scotia orebody in WA. Grade control results have demonstrated both strike and width increases to the current ore reserve in the areas tested. Initial extensional drilling has confirmed additional wide, high grade mineralisation below the current mine plan, highlighting the potential for significant resource growth and extended mine life. Initial drill testing beneath the current Scotia South ore reserve has returned 9.2 m @ 6.49g/t gold from 197.45m and 5.1 m @ 5.98g/t gold from 187.6m, about 70m below the current ore reserve. Pantoro managing director Paul Cmrlec says these initial results from Scotia continue to confirm the…

In accordance with the terms of the Yeneena earn-in and JV agreement, each company contributes pro-rata funding for exploration expenditure.

IGO, Encounter Resources enter copper JV

IGO (ASX: IGO) has entered a joint venture (JV) with Encounter Resources (ASX: ENR), following the sole funding of $15m of exploration expenditure on the company’s Yeneena project in WA. The exploration expenditure earned IGO a 70% interest in Yeneena. Yeneena comprises a major land position in the highly prospective Paterson Province in northern WA, targeting copper-cobalt mineralization. The project is located 60km south-west of the major gold-copper mine at Telfer, owned by Greatland Gold — which the company recently acquired from Newmont Mining (ASX: NEM) — and south of the Nifty copper mine, owned by Cyprium Metals (ASX: CYP) in commercial strategic partnership with Glencore. The Paterson Province also contains multiple large-scale copper-gold deposits such as Greatland Gold’s Havieron…

Alcoa’s rehabilitation mosaic_

Alcoa’s rehabilitation mosaic

Bauxite mining in the Northern Jarrah Forest As the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, aluminium is all around us from the planes, trains and cars we use to navigate, to the computers and phones we use to connect. As a plentiful, lightweight, durable and infinitely recyclable material, it will continue to stick around, especially given its emerging role in renewables energy technology. According to the International Aluminium Institute, aluminium is one of the most recycled materials on earth, with almost 75% of the 1.5bt ever produced still in use today. As a major input for solar panels and wind turbines, we need aluminium that will last into the future. As a result, aluminium is increasingly tied up in…

Leveraging lithium

Leveraging lithium

In the fifth instalment of the Australian Mining Review’s critical minerals series, we speak with Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO Futures mineral resources lead Max Temminghoff and CSIRO critical minerals lead with the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub Chris Vernon for a deep dive into emerging mid-stream processing pathways for lithium as highlighted in the agency’s From Minerals to Materials: An Assessment of Australia’s Critical Minerals Mid-Stream Processing Capabilities report. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are expected to drive a surge in demand for critical battery materials lithium, cobalt and graphite. These essential minerals present significant concentration and sustainability concerns across their supply chains, meaning research, development and demonstration (RD&D) activity will need a boost, both domestically and globally, to…

The North Queensland Export Terminal features "turtle-friendly" amber lighting on its infrastructure.

Queensland turtle hatchlings’ glowing first journey

Design features at the North Queensland Export Terminal north of Bowen are ensuring turtle hatchlings see the light as nature intended. Abbot Point Operations manages the operations and maintenance of the multi-billion-dollar facility and has incorporated “turtle-friendly” amber lighting on terminal infrastructure visible from the ocean, to allow hatchlings a smoother path to the sea. Abbot Point Operations general manager Damien Dederer says the specially designed lighting is just one example of how smart thinking and smart technology supports ecosystems to thrive around an operating port. “The North Queensland Export Terminal is one of Queensland’s busiest ports, exporting about the same total volumes as the Port of Brisbane did in the last financial year,” he said. “The greater Port of…

The agreement remains subject to NMG shareholder approval as Westgold owns 18.7% of NMG and is therefore deemed a related party under the ASX Listing Rules.

Westgold agreement to boost Meekatharra

Westgold Resources (ASX: WGX) has executed a gold ore purchase agreement between its subsidiary Big Bell Gold Operations and Zeus Mining, owned by New Murchison Gold (ASX: NMG). Westgold has agreed to purchase between 30,000 and 50,000t of gold ore per month from NMG’s planned open pit operation at Crown Prince. NMG is targeting the commencement of open pit mining in mid-2025. Crown Prince, which is located 33km by road from Westgold’s 1.6-1.8mtpa Bluebird processing plant, has a current JORC indicated and inferred mineral resource of 2.21mt @ 3.9g/t gold for 279koz gold. Westgold managing director and chief executive Wayne Bramwell says the company is delighted to have achieved a mutually beneficial outcome for both the New Murchison Gold and…

The milestone with LG Energy Solution, a major supplier of lithium-ion batteries, is aligned with Liontown’s previously announced intention to progressively start deliveries into its long-term offtake agreements.

Liontown ships first cargo to long-term customer

Liontown Resources’ (ASX: LTR) first cargo of spodumene concentrate under its long-term supply partnership with LG Energy Solution has sailed from the Port of Geraldton in WA. The shipment comprised of two separate Liontown cargoes, totalling about 33,000wmt of spodumene concentrate with a weighted average concentrate grade of about 5.2% lithium oxide, including about 11,000wmt designated for LG Energy Solution, with the balance sold to an existing short-term offtake customer. This marks the fourth and largest cargo shipped since Kathleen Valley Lithium Operations commenced production. Liontown’s managing director and chief executive Tony Ottaviano says this marks the beginning of the company’s long-term offtake partnership. “This 33,000wmt shipment of spodumene concentrate is our largest to date, and I’m incredibly proud…

Victoria’s Critical Minerals Roadmap recognises the importance of local communities and Traditional Owners.

Victoria’s critical minerals race

Victoria has released its new Critical Minerals Roadmap in an effort to bring a new focus to help develop the state’s minerals resources. Victoria has many of the critical minerals needed to produce wind turbines, rechargeable batteries and electric vehicles, including zircon, titanium, rare earth elements and antimony. As part of the roadmap, the Victorian Critical Minerals Coordination Office will be established within Resources Victoria to help to reduce project approval timelines. Critical Minerals Priority Development Zones will also be defined, so that industry and communities can better understand areas with the highest likelihood of developing successful critical minerals operations. Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) Victoria executive director James Sorahan says the Critical Minerals Roadmap puts the state firmly on…

(Image source: Greatland Gold) First Greatland Telfer gold bars.

Telfer: first gold poured under Greatland

The first gold bars under Greatland Gold ownership were poured at Telfer, following the company’s acquisition of Telfer and Havieron from Newmont (ASX: NEM) on December 4, 2024. Prior to completion, processing operations were utilising only one of the two nominal 10mtpa processing trains, preserving Telfer ore and stockpiles for Greatland to process after completion. Shortly following completion of the acquisition, Greatland resumed dual-train processing operations. An estimated 30.5mt to 34.5mt of stockpiles were acquired by Greatland on completion. The stockpiles include an estimated 11.5mt of high-grade run-of-mine grade ore stockpiles, plus a further estimated 19.0 to 23.0mt of low-grade stockpiles. Mining is continuing in the West Dome open pit and Main Dome underground. Greatland Gold managing director Shaun Day says the…

Green iron refers to iron produced in a near-zero emissions manner.

WA CME: green iron’s role in decarbonisation

Large-scale production of green iron in WA could potentially offset nearly every tonne of carbon dioxide currently produced in Australia while generating $74b in economic value, according to the newly released report from the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA (CME). The Realising WA’s Green Iron Potential report examines WA’s potential to play a leading role in decarbonising the emissions-intensive steelmaking process. WA CME chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson says WA boasts a long history as the world’s largest iron ore exporter and has a unique opportunity to advance down the value chain if the State can begin refining green iron. “Steelmaking accounts for between 6-9% of global emissions, with ironmaking alone generating up to 90% of that carbon dioxide,” she…

The independent assessment of the legacy impacts of the Panguna Mine commenced in 2022.

Panguna Mine Legacy Impact Assessment report released

PAPUA NEW GUINEA — As a member of the Panguna Mine Legacy Impact Assessment (PMLIA) Oversight Committee, Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) welcomed the release of the PMLIA report as a critical step forward in building understanding of the long-term legacy impacts of the former mine in Bougainville. The independent report assesses the environmental impacts and directly connected social and human rights impacts caused by the Panguna mine since Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) ceased operations in 1989. Conducted by independent consultants Tetra Tech Coffey over the past two years, the entire PMLIA process was overseen by the Oversight Committee, which is made up of representatives from the Papua New Guinea Government, Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), landowner and community representatives, BCL, Rio…